Witty, insightful, and full of random allusions to their varied interests, "Two Jersey Girls" is an award-winning blog about everything and nothing.
Two thirty-something women write about what's in the news, movies, television, and their lives. An entertaining read, updated regularly, and quoted often.

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

2009 was a year of ups and downs for me and my family. In an effort to focus on the positive, I've compiled a list of things that I've discovered during 2009 that quickly became some of my most favorite things. Hope you check them out and enjoy them as much as I did/do:

The BBC television series, "The IT Crowd" a sitcom about a woman (Jen) who lies hopelessly on her resume in order to get a great job, only to fool the boss so much that he makes her manager of the IT department. The IT "department" consists of two guys, Moss and Roy who quickly discover how hopeless Jen is about computers. The show continues when Moss and Roy allow Jen to stay because she can act as a "Relationship Manager" and help them interact with the upper floors. I wish I could explain in detail how funny this show is, but honestly it would take the entire blog, not just this entry. Each episode is consistently hilarious and very, very witty. The DVDs are available on Netflix and Netflix on demand (you can watch via the Internet or even Xbox Live) and they are shown on the Independent Film Channel.

"Words 4 Free" app on iPhone and iTouch. It's Scrabble that you can play with anyone who has an iPhone or iTouch. Dolly and I have epic battles that last for days until someone wins and then we start again. It's a totally free app (there are some ads between turns that you have to deal with) but other than that it's a free way to entertain yourself when you're bored at work (like I am right now).

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Trooper. It's a novel about a man whose father dies just as his entire life falls apart. To honor his father's last wish, the family agrees to sit Shiva - a Jewish tradition where the immediate family of the deceased stay together for seven days and accept visitors every night. What sounds like a sad, depressing romp through a fictional characters midlife crisis is actually pretty damn hilarious with the family is as dysfunctional as it gets and the main character a guy who doesn't take himself or any of them too seriously. It's a quick read and worth the buy.

Mint flavored, chocolate coated Oreos. O.M.G. These are only available until the end of January so stock up. I usually don't go for flavors with my chocolate, but I'll make an exception this time. If you don't either, just take the pregnant woman's advice and try them. So good you guys. So Good.

My new "Green Canteen" water bottle. So apparently I missed the episode of Oprah when Dr. Oz told everyone that drinking out of plastic water bottles isn't healthy and these metal cylinders were the way to go, but he did and this was the 'hot item' of our family for Christmas. Again, I usually turn away from fads like this, but we have three of them so I figured I'd give it a shot. They are amazing. First, your water stays cold all day; second, it reminds me of drinking out of a canteen like I'm some big camper; third it really is better for the budget...er...the environment. We have a big water pitcher at our house and use that to fill up the bottles so it's much more cost effective then buying plastic bottles to take to work, etc.

The movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This was one of my favorite books as a child, so I did not go and see it when it came to the theater because there was no way it could follow the storyline of the book. My mother (Joan) bought the DVD for Glow bug and I watched it grudgingly. It's really very, very cute. Nothing like the book, well, except that huge food falls from the sky, but it's so funny and really easy to watch as a grown up.

Glow Bug's new Leapster 2. It's a handheld game (much like the Gameboy of my youth) that they can play educational games on. Best of all, ALL LEAPFROG GAMES work with ALL LEAPFROG systems so there are a TON of games to choose from! When he outgrows the Leapster 2 (it's for ages 4-8) he can use the games in whatever other Leapfrog system he gets. Glow bug loves Spiderman and the comic heroes currently and sure enough there is a math game with them. Beau and I go out with friends for dinner a lot and this is a great way to keep him occupied while we wait for a seat, or on long car trips. You can recharge the battery pack, and you can plug the system into the computer and track your child's progress and what games he or she likes best. I love this game.

2 comments:

I broke both of my metal ones by dropping them and switched back to plastic. Plastic bottles (not the throw-away kind) are FINE to drink from according to my geotechnical engineer husband. Get the non-BPA ones if it bothers you to drink from plastic. I got mine @ REI and LL Bean. In order for the toxins to leech into your water it has to have been BOILED in the plastic bottle. Only down side is that they don't recycle like the metal ones do. Enough said. :>)